November 8, 2021
Hailing from Givhans, South Carolina, Zachary Jones was born into the Edisto
Natchez-Kusso Tribe, the great-grandson of their Chief. It's very obvious that Zachary takes great pride in his Native identity and highly values the preservation of their traditions and lifestyle. He comes from a “strong and loving family” but with the lack of quality jobs and education in their rural area, he knew he would have to work extremely hard if he wanted to achieve his goals in life.
Zachary’s Career Journey
Knowing that Zachary started working in high school both at a flower nursery and helping to build boats. After graduating, he found himself working in environmental services (EVS) for HHS beginning in September 2017, eventually transitioning into a patient transporter role. As a patient transporter, he took every opportunity to learn and grow and was promoted to transport supervisor. Only a few months later, he received a call from his vice president offering him a transport manager position in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
The Importance of Mentorship
Zachary recognizes the important role that mentor, Susan Waller, has played in his success. Susan was his supervisor at Grand Strand Medical in Myrtle Beach.
“She guided me to take on more responsibilities and helped me grow from a boy to a man. Without her, I wouldn’t be who I am today.”
He and Susan still speak almost daily and she has great admiration for Zach, calling his ability to connect with patients “effortless.” Susan said she knew Zach “would go on to be a great success.”
Advice for the Team
“Lead by example. Don’t make anyone do anything that you wouldn’t do. Hard work and [a] positive attitude will always be recognized.”
Zachary is settling into his new life in Louisiana with his girlfriend and their cat. He still makes the trip back home for his tribe’s annual Pow-wow. He looks forward to learning new things and growing his career at HHS.
“The more I know, the more I can spread my knowledge to help others.”
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